The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, says our worsening employment rate can be relieved overnight – because there are plenty of jobs in regional Victoria.
Mr Walsh says when the Australian Bureau of Statistics released its latest figures this week the national unemployment rate had inched its way up to 4.1 per cent.
And as you would expect in an economy run by the financially incompetent Allan Labor government and its union cronies, Victoria has the highest unemployment rate at 4.5 per cent (NSW is just 3.9 per cent).
“But a five-minute walk along just two of the streets around my Echuca office today showed nine businesses with help wanted signs in their windows,” Mr Walsh says.
“Others had signs up explaining restricted service and product lines because of insufficient staff,” he added.
“One of the people in my office went out to get everyone a morning coffee this week, and the poor young woman behind the counter simply told her to come back much later or try somewhere else – she was on her own because they could not find anyone else to help and she couldn’t keep up.
“In these tough times, with everyone complaining of cost-of-living pressures, there are still options for many, many people to get into the workforce, because I know the vacancies in Echuca today will be mirrored in towns across my electorate and right across regional Victoria.”
Mr Walsh says they might not all be long-term career opportunities, but “they are a foot in the employment door, they are the chance to pick up new skills, the chance to network with people other than those behind the counter at Centrelink”.
He says there are also significant opportunities for everything from bakers to builders, from chefs to childcare workers.
“These are important positions in the commercial sector and those jobs are there for the taking,” Mr Walsh insists.
“Opportunities in just about every agricultural industry are going begging.
“And regional Victoria is a much friendlier, cleaner and happier place to be than crammed into the chaos of Melbourne and trying to survive in the dole queue,” he says.
“Regional Victoria offers a lot of people the chance of a very good life, and even better lifestyle – anything must be better than being shackled to the welfare system.
“Give regional Victoria a go and get a new lease of life.”